A bill to recognise English as an official language of New Zealand has passed its first reading in parliament, sparking criticism from opposition parties and linguistic experts who deem it 'unnecessary' and 'cynical'. The legislation, introduced as part of the coalition deal between the populist New Zealand First party and the centre-right National Party, aims to give English the same official status as te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
On 3 March, the coalition—which also includes the minor Act party—voted in favour of the bill, allowing it to proceed to the select committee stage for public consultation. While the timeline remains unclear, the bill has widespread government support and is likely to become law. English is currently spoken by 95% of New Zealand's population but has no official status.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters argued that English had never been deemed official and the bill would 'correct that anomaly'. He claimed the use of Māori in public services was causing confusion, stating: 'This bill won’t solve the push of this virtue signalling narrative completely, but it is the first step towards ensuring logic and common sense prevails.' Peters, who is Māori, has long opposed affirmative initiatives for Māori and criticised the use of Māori names for government departments.
The National Party has said the legislation is not a priority but supports it under the coalition agreement. Act's Simon Court said it did not have to be a 'culture war issue', while National's Rima Nakhle remarked that making English official was 'not the end of the world'. However, the proposal has drawn little support outside the coalition.
Ministry of Justice officials advised against passing the bill, stating there was 'no evidence to support concerns about the use or status of English as an official language'. They noted that Māori and New Zealand Sign Language became official to protect linguistic minorities, and recognising English would 'not change its status as the default language'. Very few English-speaking countries have made English official, usually to protect another language, as in Canada.
Opposition parties and language experts have condemned the bill. Labour MP Kieran McAnulty called it 'scaremongering' and 'cynical'. Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said English was 'not under threat' and referenced the Native Schools Act 1867, which punished children for speaking Māori. Auckland University of Technology associate professor Sharon Harvey described the bill as 'vexatious' and 'unnecessary', accusing proponents of playing to those uncomfortable with Māori language visibility.
